martytdx's Full Review: Outside Magazine Subscription
Several years ago, I was visiting a friend in Colorado and waiting for him to primp and preen before we went out for the night (me, I had on teva's and baseball hat). So, while sitting sipping a beer, I picked up a magazine sitting on the coffee table, Outside Magazine. I read the list of articles and realized that more than one caught my eye. I had heard of Outside because of reading Into the Wild by John Krakauer, and knew it had originally been published there.
But as I sat back, I got captivated not only by the feature articles, but also the pictures, monthly features and pretty much everything about it. Luckily, he hadn't torn out the subscription cards in the magazine, so I grabbed it to remind myself to order it in the near future.
Soon after, I had a chance to try 3 magazines for a year for free. Naturally, Outside went to the top of the list, and my subscription started. I've never let it run out since.
[ • the MAGAZINE • ]
Outside magazine is a monthly publication focusing on a host of outdoor activities. The articles run the gamut from extreme sports to outdoor vacations to environmental issues, along with everything in between. They are definitely a magazine with a 'green' slant, but have become increasingly geared to the higher-income readers who are also active in the outdoors and concerned about conservation.
Each issue features a few 'main' articles which act as the cover features. Often, several smaller articles tie in to those main stories, but not always. The main articles are the meat and potatoes of this magazine, but their travel guides are also fantastic, full of great information and helpful tips.
[ • the CONTENTS • ]
The magazine consists of 11 departments in addition to the features:
• Between the Lines - a look at the writers for this issue.
• Letters - letters from readers about recent articles.
• Exposure - usually 2-4 pages of great photographs toward the middle of the magazine.
• The Wild File - every month they ask a question and post the responses the following month.
• Dispatches - Brief articles on what's new, what's happening and what's hot around the world. It includes a profile of a relatively unknown up-and-comer in the adventure/athletic world, as well as short reviews of hot products and the latest books.
• Destinations - This is a semi-feature section which picks a theme, and then gives examples and reviews on different places to check out within that theme.
• The Hard Way - a monthly feature that gives different authors a way to tell about a personal challenge they had. These articles are usually some of the best in the magazine - June's involved Tim Severin an explorer trying to duplicate the famous expeditions of myth: Simbad, Odysseus and more.
• Review - Product reviews of all types: camping gear, fashion, athletic gear and just plain cool stuff.
• Bodywork - Outside also offers great fitness tips every month in this section. Sometimes it's focused on a particular pursuit (i.e. How to Get Ready for A Marathon), and other times it's more general. Regardless, they offer tons of great fitness tips.
• Active Traveler Directory is the section that has all of the travel and goods (read: ads) for the magazine.
• Parting Shot - an ending photo of either amazing scenery, an incredible stunt or something just to make you laugh.
In addition to the monthly sections, each issue usually has 3-5 articles of about 4-10 pages each covering an assortment of topics. Some examples of articles from the June 2004 issue:
-- Let Us Praise Crazy Mofo's
A look at some of the crazier accomplishments of men (and women) such as walking across the Pacific Ocean.
-- Without a Barrel
A man who tossed himself over the Niagara Falls - and lived to tell about it.
-- Technicolor Darkness
South Africa has some of the best climbing in the world - but even now, the specter of apartheid hangs over every face.
-- Dry Run on the River of Sorrows
The author's account of trying to run the once majestic Dolores River, and how current river management has left it as little more than a trickle.
-- National Parks Guide
Review of some of the best places to check out in our National Park system (this was the issue's theme, overall).
-- Trippy Towns
A sub-article to the National Parks article, it looks at some cool towns to check out when you are done camping and hiking.
Outside's strength is the power of the feature articles. The smaller articles are often fun and usually very informative, but their cover stories are usually fantastic. Authors like Sebastian Junger and Krakauer have gotten their starts in Outside, and many of the writers they get now are the next generation of great travel writers. If Outside was around when Hemingway was traveling, I'm sure he'd have written for them, too.
The feature articles have a variety of topics. They usually focusing on the outdoor scene ("Best Sports Camps", "Best Trips 2004", "Best Island Getaways", "Best Outdoor Places You've Never Heard Of"). However, quite often they tackle even harder subjects and give the reader some real insight into topics that aren't as warm and happy as the best place to kayak in Canada. Some recent examples:
• An article about hiking the wilds of Iran.
• A greenway between Palestine and Israel which is a major migratory route, and how both sides are working together to preserve it.
• An article on why the environmentalist view on ANWAR might not be as bullet-proof as they profess.
• A biting commentary on Gail Norton, the Secretary of the Interior, and staunch anti-environmentalist.
• Apartheid and rock-climbing in South Africa.
• The story of four young climbers who find themselves kidnapped by rebel soldiers in a former Soviet Republic - and how they escaped.
Conservatives would call this magazine a product of the liberal environmental movement, and while the focus is definitely environmentally-friendly, it does take a look at our world with open eyes (the above ANWAR article was a great example). With articles splitting time between outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking and climbng and other pieces on skateboarding, skiing and cycling, it covers a lot of ground, and doesn't always take an environmentally adversarial tone such as a Greenpeace magazine would. But it does stress conservation quite often, doing so effectively.
One downside of the magazine of late is that the vacation portions of the articles are becoming increasingly high-end. In the past, the articles focused more on great places to see and things to do, but more often now there are features on the best places to spoil yourself, most exclusive environmental resorts, etc., finding great places at great cost (such as $1,000 per night lodges). Not that those aren't great to dream of, but I preferred more of the reviews of places to go where you were focused on the outdoors and not the luxuries when you got back from your 1.5-mile hike in your Nike Patent-Leather Upper boots and your Camelbak Perrier Holder. Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but they are definitely focusing on a higher strata readership in a lot of cases, which is particularly funny considering many of the articles are about dirt-poor athletes struggling to do what they love.
But, that aside, this is a magazine that has some of the best writing of any out there, particularly with regards to those with an outdoor focus.
[ • cost of SUBSCRIPTION • ]
cover price is $3.95 an issue (CA$4.95) for a total price of about $47.40 per year. A subscription from most sources will be about $18 (or about $1.50 an issue) – a savings of 62%. You can find Outside at most online subscription sites.
[ • ads & ANNOYANCES • ]
Issues are about 110-140 pages long (including 10 pages in the back of classifieds and ads). About 40% of the non-index pages are advertisements, something that actually surprised me when I figured it out. Most of the ads are toward the beginning - you won't see pages of contents until page 7 or so, and content doesn't begin until around page 18. Once you hit the meat of the content, the ads slack a bit. The content of the ads is for the most part relative to the magazine - outdoor gear, products for active lifestyles, etc, so at least you aren't seeing a ton of junk, but it's still quite a bit.
One other annoyance is the fact that Outside comes FILLED with the subscription cards. There are usually 3-4 loose, plus another 2-3 attached in the magazine. Listen, I subscribe - think you could lay off the hassling to do so?
[ • final THOUGHTS • ] Outside is an amazing magazine filled with articles, features and departments about all things that the outdoor-active reader could hope for. The writing is excellent, often featuring well-known writers or writers who will make their mark in the near future. The articles run the gamut of subjects, tackling the best kayaking spots and the latest National Park legislation with equal aplomb.
The topics that Outside covers are interesting and diverse enough that you will never find yourself bored with the magazine. I can't remember the last time that I didn't read it cover to cover, every article capturing my interest in different ways. I've been a subscriber ever since that first issue, and plan to continue for years down the line.
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Part of the Around Epinions in 23+ Reviews auto-writeoff.
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